Stewed Spring Chicken with Mushroom

According to historical records, a dish called “Kou Mo Fei Ji” was included in the dinner menus of the imperial courts of the Qianlong, Guangxu, and Xuantong emperors and the Empress Dowager. That famous dish was in fact the dish that is known today as stewed spring chicken with mushroom.

The dish is well known in Northeast China. The Armillaria mellea mushroom used in the dish grows in the wild. The finished dish has a deliciously savory soup, and the chicken is so tender that it falls off the bone and melts in the mouth. Families in Northeast China have a tradition of serving this dish to their son-in-laws, and the dish is considered a classic amongst Northeast China’s famous stews.

The dish is made of dried mushrooms, chicken and vermicelli. The mushrooms used are wild Arimillaria mellea (a kind of mushroom that is shaped like a small umbrella with a thin stem) which really helps to bring out the flavor of the chicken.